St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-05-16

sergeant says: Il don't suppose any
other detective force in the country gets
along with less internal friction than
this. There is very little jealousy among
the men, and this is accounted for by
the fact that the inspector is rigidly fair
and impartial. Every professional
criminal is exhibited to the
whole force at roll call,
his pedigree given, his exploits re-
counted and his methods of working
described. If II detective does not re-
member him when he sees the man
again, that is his own fault. A good
memory is the first requisite in detective
work. Any man who has good men,
DRY. good Judgment and common sense,
can do detective work. There is rivalry
among the men, of course, and one is
not going to tell another all he knows.
1t costs money and time to acquire that
information. | know one of the men
spent three weeks time and 800 to get
at the truth about Il person whom he
suspected of being crooked. He made
himself agreeable to a woman who could
tell what he wanted to know, sent
flowers to her, took her to the opera
and gave her swell dinners. He learned
all he wanted, and that is stored away
in his memory for future reference. Ali
-
own pocket, and he regards the money
as invested in good securities. There
is not much mystery about the methods
of detectives and nothing preternatural
in their Shrewdness. The dime novel
detective who scents the criminal to his
lair by the smell his boot SoleS have left
on window sill is Il myth. Good horse
sense does the work. Criminals them
selves are the chief sources of informa-
ton. The notion that there is honor
among thieves is all bosh.. Even the
thieves of the first rank, the big bur
glars and keenest crooks, will
Squeal to save themselves, and it is
very few who will not talk for
money. 1t often happens that one crook
will lead others into a crime for the
sake of informing on them and getting
a few dollars. In some styles of case
fine strategical work is done and some
Shrewd tricks are played. Many a sup
posed mystery of crime is no mystery to
the detectives. Some murders that are
supposed to have remained unaccCunt-
able have been got to by the police.
But it is one thing to satisfy yourself
beyond doubt that a thing is so, and an
other to get legal evidence to prove
point, but as the people involved are
living, and some OF them stand
HIGH IN SOCIETY,
L will use no names. There was
murder under such peculiar circum-
stances that suspicion fell naturally
upon Il prominent man. 1t seemed to
be q very romantic ease in its features
precedent to the tragedy. A woman
was mixed up with it, of course. She
saw the killing, but strange to say she
could not or would not give any deScrip-
nf 40 Il ], NJ al,
a detective on one end of the case put
this and that together, and finally dis
carded all the romantic theories and
went to work on very prOsaic hypoth-
eSis. lie got his eye on a man and
tested the woman'S memory in re-
gard to him, The woman before
the coroner's jury testified that she
did not and could not recognize
him as the murderer. He had not been
arrested, was not present, and did not
know that he was suspected. After the
woman had failed to Identify him, it
would be useless to attempt to try him,
even If she should recognize him, upon
her evidence. A lawyer would rip her
testimony to pieces i'll no time. But the
officer felt sure that he had spotted the
man, and when he learned that the
Woman'S memory was weak because she
had been flushed with wine when the
thing occurred, he understood why she
could be of no use as witness. TO
satisfy himself, however, he arranged
test, with her help. The suspected man
was ear conductor. The detective
sent friend down the line to board the
mans car and ride up Oh the front plat
form, merely a sign. The woman
and the officer rode in a cab to
meet the car, and when it came in sight
they got out of the cab and stopped the
car. The woman had been Instructed
in her part You know when woman
boards a street car she gathers up her
skirts in front, stoops forward, bends
her head and steps in without looking
up. When this woman got upon the
step she glanced up at the conductor as
if by chance. She seemed to be about
to look away again and go inside, but
her gaze was suddenly arrested. as if
by a startling recognition, and she
looked the conductor full in
the face with eyes wide open. The of
ticer was watching the man closely.
The effect upon that conductor was
startling. His knees gave way and he